This application claims the priority of German application 198 43 025.6-42, filed Sep. 19, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a partition arrangement for a self-supporting body of a motor vehicle including a partition arranged on a forward end of a rear space, with the partition extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle as well as along a portion of its height between rearward wheel houses of the motor vehicle. The portion is detachably fastened to boundary walls of the rear space.
A partition arrangement of this type is known from the Mercedes-Benz Roadster SLK and has a rearward partition wall which is arranged at the forward end of a rear space. The rear space comprises a convertible top storage space and a trunk. The rearward partition wall extends in the transverse direction of the vehicle and approximately vertically, starting from a rear space floor, along a portion of its height between rear wheel houses, and then extends, in the upper area of the wheel houses, so as to be bent toward the front in the direction of a cross member. This cross member is arranged approximately at the level of the window ledges behind the two seats. A forward partition wall, which extends downward from the cross member behind the seats in the area behind the side doors and which is undetachably fastened to the self-supporting vehicle body, together with the rearward partition wall, bounds a space which is used for receiving the fuel tank. In order to be able to, for example, install and remove the fuel tank, the rearward partition wall is fastened in a detachable manner. In addition, the rearward partition wall in this partition arrangement is used particularly as the forward boundary of the rear space. It therefore includes a light aluminum sheet and does not result in a significant stiffening of the vehicle body.
It is an object of the invention to provide a partition arrangement for a self-supporting body of a motor vehicle of the type mentioned which causes an additional stiffening of the self-supporting vehicle body against deformation with low expenditures of material.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a partition arrangement having a partition which extends along almost the whole height of the rear space, is arranged approximately in an upright transverse plane of the vehicle, and is constructed as a supporting device which stiffens the vehicle body against deformation.
In the partition arrangement according to the invention, the partition extends along almost the entire height of the rear space and is arranged in an approximately upright transverse plane of the vehicle. The partition is constructed as a supporting device which increases the stiffness against torsion and stiffens the vehicle body against deformation. In addition, the operating stability of the vehicle body is improved. As a result, in addition to bounding the rear space, the supporting device can provide stiffening of the self-supporting vehicle body as an additional function. Since the partition extends approximately in the transverse plane of the vehicle as mentioned above, the forces acting upon the supporting device can be absorbed very well and the stiffness against torsion of the vehicle body can be improved. Because the supporting device extends along almost the whole height of the rear space, the supporting device can be fastened very high on the wheel houses or on the side walls and the vehicle body can be stiffened along a large span of the height. In order to provide access to spaces situated in front of the supporting device, this supporting device is detachably fastened on the vehicle body by, for example, screwed connections.
Advantageous embodiments of the partition arrangement according to the invention with expedient further developments of the invention are described and claimed.
It was found to be advantageous to connect the damper domes arranged in the upper areas of the wheel houses with one another by a cross strut. As a result of the rear space floor situated on the bottom, the lateral wheel houses and the cross strut arranged at the top, a box-shaped structure of the vehicle body is created which can be stiffened very well by the supporting device. This box-shaped structure can additionally be stiffened by a carrying plate, which is fixedly connected with the cross strut and the damper domes.
Angular reinforcements, which are fastened on the bottom side of the carrying plate and on one damper dome respectively, provide not only a further stiffening of the box-shaped structure and of the vehicle body but also permit fastening of the supporting device at the top and the sides of the rear space.
A forward partition wall, which is arranged at the rearward end of the occupant compartment and is fastened to the carrier plate, is used not only for increasing the stiffness or resistance to torsion in a forward area of the box-shaped structure of the vehicle body but also to provide the boundary of a space, particularly for a fuel tank, by way of the rearward partition wall.
As a further development of the invention, it was found to be particularly advantageous to optionally mount a rearward partition wall or a partition frame as the supporting device. Instead of being equipped with a series-produced partition frame, the vehicle can, in a simple manner, be equipped with a rearward partition wall which can be used for receiving a ski bag. In this case, the partition wall can be fastened over large areas of the boundary walls of the rear space in order to permit a good force transmission.
Finally, it is particularly advantageous for the partition frame to include four straight struts which are detachably fastened on the angular reinforcements and in the corner areas between the wheel houses and a rear space floor. Here, it is advantageous for the mutually opposite struts to form straight diagonals which connect the angular reinforcements with the opposite corner areas along the shortest path and thus permit a good force transmission between the lateral upper and lower areas of the rear space.
Additional advantages, characteristics and details of the invention are apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments as well as from the drawings.